72 Hours

Ezra sat up in bed with his usual groan, he hated getting up in the morning, if he had it his way, he would sleep until at least noon, but his job prevented that. He looked at the calendar, it was 3 days until the new year, he had been amused by all the people that thought this year was the Millennium New Year. He stretched his body, then got out of bed and headed for the shower, he enjoyed a nice hot shower in the morning, almost more than anything, almost. As he showered, he thought back over the last year, it had been a bad and violent year and he hoped the next would be better. He had seen more violence than he cared too, especially the Columbine Tragedy, that had hit home and it broke his heart to see children senselessly murdered like that, he had been glad he wasn't on that case, many of the agents that were, had needed emotional help afterwards. He finished showering, then towel dried his hair and got dressed, putting on one of his usual suits. He grabbed a banana as he headed out the door, he would get coffee at work, which would turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes of his life, but he didn't know that. He walked into the office and set his briefcase on his desk, then headed for the coffee pot, picking up the mug with his name on it and a little hand of cards. He poured a cup as Buck walked up to him, "Morning Mr. Wilmington." "Mornin Ezra, how are you this morning?" "Fine, I just need to get this coffee into me, then I will be right as rain." He took a small sip, to see how hot it was, then took a large gulp. "Glad to hear it Ezra, enjoy your coffee." "Not likely if you or JD made it." It tasted good, so he knew neither of them had made it, it did have a little bit of bitterness to it though. "Nah, Nathan made it." "I could have guessed, since it's good." Buck playfully smacked his arm and he smiled back at Buck, he enjoyed joking with the others, it made him feel like part of the group. He went to his desk and sat down, then turned on his computer, so he could read his e-mail's. He drank more of the coffee as he read his mail, taking the last swallow as he got to the last mail, which was a bit mysterious, it didn't say who it was from. He began to read the mail : "Good morning Ezra, I hope you enjoyed your cup of coffee, did it taste bitter at all? I hope so, because that was from the poison that I put in your cup. It will take 72 hours for the poison to kill you, but you will start to get sick, as every hour passes you will become more and more ill, until your little, betraying heart stops working, hope you have a Happy New Year Ezra' Ezra looked around, then printed the e-mail, he had to show this to Chris, he was in shock and didn't know what to believe, was it true, or was this some kind of trick? He looked at the other men in the office, he must have turned pale, because Nathan moved towards him, he heard him asking. "Ezra, you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost." "I will let you know Mr. Jackson, will you excuse me a moment?" "Sure Ezra" Ezra went and got the e-mail off the printer, then moved towards Chris's office, knocking on the door. "May I speak to you a moment Mr. Larabee?" "Sure Ezra, come in." Chris watched as Ezra opened the door and stepped inside. "Ezra, what's wrong?" "This" He handed Chris the mail and watched his reaction as he read it. He saw shock and disbelief cross his leaders face. "You actually did this right? And you tasted a bitterness?" "Yes, I did." "Lets get some tests run on your cup and I want you to go to the hospital to have blood tests run on you, we have to find out if this is for real." He stood and moved over by Ezra, then they stepped out the door together. "Gentleman, can I have your attention, it would seem that someone is claiming to have put poison in Ezra's coffee cup, they say he has 72 hours to live, we need to find out if this is true." "Oh No, this can't be." JD said. "Lets hope not Mr. Dunne" Chris said "Nathan, take Ezra's coffee cup down to the lab, don't get any more finger prints on it, I want the results ASAP." "Sure Chris" "Josiah, I want you and Vin to take Ezra to the hospital, so they can do some blood tests, there is no time to waste, we have to find out one way or another if Ezra has been poisoned." All the men went to work, JD got on the computer, trying to see if the e-mail could be traced, Nathan headed to the lab, and Vin, Josiah, and Ezra headed for the hospital. Chris and Buck went to work in Ezra's files, trying to figure out if there was anyone in them that would want to do this, or could do it. While Vin and Josiah were on the way to the hospital with Ezra, Chris and Buck began to analyze the e-mail that Ezra had gotten. "Whoever sent this had to know Ezra's habits pretty well, to know before hand, that he would have a cup of coffee." "Yeah, the fact that they used his first name, indicates they know him personally." Buck added. "Who would consider Ezra to be a betrayer?" "I don't know Chris, he's done a lot of undercover work, I suppose any of the people he busted doing that, would consider him a betrayer of sorts." "Yes, but would any of them 1.Go by his first name, 2. Know his habits that well, and 3. Have access to this office and Ezra's cup?" "Good point Chris, so it was someone that could get into and out of the building without really being noticed." "Right and someone that had been around Ezra enough to know his habits." "There are still people that he busted that could know that, some of his undercover jobs lasted a long time and the people he was working with would have come to know his habits and call him by his first name." "True, I think we should focus our efforts on those people, find out which of them had the ability to do all this, that is if Ezra really was poisoned." "Yeah, what if he has Chris? What are we going to do?" "Work our butt's off to find an antidote and catch the bastard that did it." "If what this person said is true, Ezra is going to start getting sick." "I know, we will just have to be there for him and try to keep him from getting too scared." "He's got to be real scared Chris, especially if the test's are positive." Chris just shook his head, he couldn't believe this was happening to Ezra, not right before the New Year, he was just glad that Abby would be at the hospital for him, he would need her support right now. + + + + + + + Vin and Josiah arrived at the hospital with Ezra, they went straight to the lab. Vin had phoned ahead to tell the lab they were coming and what they needed, so the lab was ready for them. "All right Ezra, we will be right here, when they are done drawing blood." Vin said. "Thank you Vin, that is comforting to know." Ezra was not looking forward to being poked and prodded, but he also wanted to know if it was true, if he had really been poisoned. The thought terrified him and he was not looking forward to getting ill. He stepped through the swinging doors, rolling up his right sleeve as he did, he wanted to get this over with. "You ready Mr. Standish?" The nurse asked. "I guess so Miss, just get it over with, please?" "Certainly, for what it's worth, I hope the results are negative." "Thank you nurse, so do I." The nurse drew several vials of blood, then took them to the lab, Ezra sat waiting, his heart pounding, he wanted to know the results, but yet he didn't, what if he was poisoned? Would he live to see the new year? All these questions, he had no answers for them. He closed his eyes trying to relax, then he felt a familiar hand on his, "Abby?" "Yes Ezra, I came as soon as I heard." She gave him a hug, which he returned with equal warmth. "I am sorry you had to hear it from someone else." "It's all right Ezra, we don't even know if it's true yet." "Very true, so how is David? Good I hope?" "Yes, thank you, but you shouldn't be thinking about him right now, just try to relax and hope for the best, I will be here when the results come back." "How long will it take?" "Usually a couple of hours, but they put a rush on this, so an hour at most." She smiled at Ezra, trying to reassure him, but she was too worried herself. "Abby, I can't thank you enough for being here, it means a lot to me." He squeezed her hand, trying to let her know that he was all right. "Why don't you lay back and relax, I will go check on the test results." "Thank you Abby." Then he laid back and drifted to sleep, he really did feel very tired. Abby brushed the strand of hair, that always seemed to fall onto Ezra's forehead, back off then turned to go check on the results Abby came back about 10 minutes later, she found Ezra asleep, he had a light sheen of sweat on his face, so she put her hand on his forehead, which caused him to wake, but it was enough to tell her that he had a slight fever. That only reinforced what the test results said, he had been poisoned, but it was an unknown poison. "Abby, it's true, isn't it? I have been poisoned." "Yes Ezra, I am so sorry, but the lab is doing everything they can to find an antidote." "How long will that take? I only have 72 hours." "I don't know Ezra, it's an unfamiliar poison, the lab tech said it was a masterpiece, it took someone with a lot of chemical knowledge to create such a poison, he agrees that it will slowly start to make you ill, until....." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Abby, don't cry, they will find an answer, they have to, because I don't want to die." He and Abby hugged, holding each other for a long time. "David will be so upset about this, but I have to tell him, I don't keep secrets from him." "I understand Abby, he is your husband and a friend." "I am sure he will send his prayers, I will be praying and if you need anything, you come to me, do you hear?" "Yes ma'am, can I go now?" "Yes, but take it easy, your already starting to show symptoms." "I am?" "Yes, you have a slight fever, I fear it's going to get much worse, you may need medical attention before you know it." "Thank you Abby, I will try to take it easy, but I want whoever did this to me." "I know, I do too." She kissed him on the cheek, then he turned and left, she watched him go, her heart ached at the thought of him slowly dying, getting sicker and sicker. + + + + + + + Vin and Josiah had been waiting out in the waiting area, while Ezra had the tests done, they were both very worried as to what would happen if the results were positive, they did not want to watch him slowly die before their eyes, they would find the person that did this and make them give the antidote, if the results were positive. They both looked up as Ezra came out, "Well, what are the results?" Vin asked. "They are positive." Josiah said, "It's written all over your face Ezra, don't worry, we won't let you die." "Thank you gentlemen, but can we go back to the office, I want to find the person that did this." "Sure Ezra, you feel up to it?" "I am fine Vin." "Are you sure? You look a bit feverish." Josiah said. "Abby said I had a slight fever, but nothing to worry about, please gentlemen, I need to find this person." "All right, lets go." Vin said. They drove back to the office in silence, neither Vin or Josiah knew what to say to Ezra, they couldn't even comprehend the fact that someone was slowly murdering Ezra, by way of poison. As soon as they got back to the office, Chris called a meeting,"Everyone into the conference room please." His face was expressionless, his steel blue eyes filled with anger. "The results of the test on the cup, as well as Ezra's blood test, have come back positive, he has been poisoned, now we have to find the bastard that did it." "Chris, I tried every trick I know, but I could not trace that e-mail, it's almost as if it was sent from his own computer." JD reported. "Is that possible?" "Yes, they used his computer and sent an e-mail to that same computer, it is possible and could not be traced." "Damn, this person knows a lot about computers too." Buck commented. "Yes, and they know a lot about chemicals, Abby told me that the lab tech at the hospital said it would take someone with great knowledge in chemicals to create such a poison, it was one they had never seen before." Ezra said. "Are you all right Ezra? You look feverish." Nathan asked. "Yes Mr. Jackson, Abby said I had a slight fever, it is one of the first symptoms of the poison." "Why don't you go home and get some rest Ezra, we can do this without you." Chris said. "Thank you Mr. Larabee, but I only have 70 hours to live, I do not intend to spend it sleeping." "As you wish Ezra, but if you start feeling really bad, I want to know, we will get you to the hospital." "Yes Mr. Larabee, I will." "Ok, so we have determined that this person somehow knows Ezra personally, that they know his habits, we know this person is skilled with computers and chemicals, and that they think Ezra somehow betrayed them, Ezra do you know anyone that fits that description?" "No, but I will keep thinking about it, I will go through all my files, there's got to be something there." "We have already started going through them, but you would be the best one to do that." "I will begin as soon as we are finished here." "We're almost done, the last thing that I want is this, Ezra is at no time to be left alone, I want one of you with him constantly." Ezra groaned, "Is that really necessary, I don't think I'm in any danger, the damage has already been done." "That's true, but if you become ill, I want someone there that can get you to the hospital." "Very well." "Dismissed, everyone get to work, I want the labs here at the AFT to be working on an antidote for this poison too, the hospital's is good, but we have the best chemists in the world working here." Something about what Chris just said, gave Ezra a funny feeling, but he couldn't place it, so he pushed it aside for now and went to work on his files, looking for anyone that fit what they knew so far. Ezra had spent hours going through his files, he had a lot of them and so far the stack that he had gone through was still far smaller than the ones he still had to go through. He was feeling very tired and he was having trouble concentrating, he couldn't seem to think straight, his mind was not the usual steel trap. He knew it must be the poison, he had no idea how it would effect him, what it would do to him as the hours passed, no one did. He sighed heavily and pulled out another file, he had found nothing so far. "You all right Ezra?" Nathan asked with concern. "Yes Mr. Jackson, just tired and frustrated." "Why don't you take a break, go get some fresh air." "There is no time for that" "You can't push yourself Ezra, or you'll have even less time." "All right Nathan, I will go get some air." He stood up and was unsteady on his feet for a moment, he saw Nathan approach, "I'm fine, just got up too fast." "Are you sure, your not keeping anything from us are you?" "No I am not, I learned my lesson about that already." "Good" Nathan watched Ezra walk out the door, he didn't look to steady, he was very worried, he wished he knew what to expect as the hours passed, but no one knew what his symptoms would be. He turned around to see Chris and Buck watching after Ezra too, they looked as worried as he was and he knew they were. "I'm worried Chris, we don't have any idea what's going to start happening to him, what his symptoms will be." "I know Nathan, all we can do is keep an eye on him." "He hates that Chris" Buck said, the usual glint in his eye was gone, only worry was there right now. "JD, go down and make sure Ezra is all right." "Sure Chris" JD rushed out the door and headed for the elevator. "What do you think it's going to be like for Ezra?" Buck asked. "Hell" Chris said "Well, we don't know what the poison will do to him, obviously a fever, since he's already got one, I've been watching him and he seems to be having trouble concentrating, other than that, I don't know." Nathan said. "Well, lets get back to work boys, we aren't accomplishing anything standing here" Chris said. + + + + + + + When JD got downstairs and went outside, he at first couldn't find him. After a little searching he found Ezra sitting under a tree, his arms resting on his knees and his face in his hands. JD was worried, Ezra was getting worse, he could see it and so could the others, "Hey Ezra, you ok?" "Yes Mr. Dunne, just a bit of a headache." "Want me to get you something for it?" "That would be nice, thank you." "Sure, be right back" JD had never seen Ezra so weak and without energy, he knew that Ezra must be feeling bad. He went to the little convenience store across from the building and bought a bottle of aspirin. When he got back, Ezra was in the exact same position as when he left. "Here you go Ezra, here's some aspirin and water." "Thank you Mr. Dunne" "Any time Ezra." When Ezra looked up at him to take the aspirin and water, JD could see pain in his eyes, along with fear. He couldn't remember ever seeing that kind of fear in Ezra's eyes, that was one of the things he admired about Ezra, if he ever was afraid, he never showed it, just did what he had to do, but this was different. "Hey Ezra, we are going to find an antidote, your not going to die, we won't let that happen." "I wish I could believe that JD, but right now I just can't." "Let's go back upstairs, maybe working on your files again, will provide a distraction." "Yes, besides there is no time to waste." He walked with JD back upstairs, he hated the idea of the kid watching him slowly die, that's something someone his age should not have to see. He was not looking forward to the night, he would try to sleep, didn't think he could though, the hours would tick by and nothing will have changed, except maybe he would be even sicker. It was 10pm and Ezra had gotten through most of his files, they now had a list of about 14 people that fit what they were looking for. Tomorrow they would begin checking them to see where they were and what they had been doing. Right now though, Ezra was barely able to stay awake and his fever was slightly higher. "Vin, take Ezra home." Chris said. "All right Chris, come on Ezra, you need to get to bed." Vin replied. "As you wish Mr. Tanner, I do feel tired." He stood up and he again had to steady himself, his head swam a bit and his legs felt a bit rubbery. "You ok Ezra?" Vin asked as he took Ezra's arm. "Yes, just tired." "Let's get you home." Vin continued to hold Ezra's arm as they walked to the elevator, Ezra did not try to pull it free, so he knew Ezra was not well. The two men drove to Ezra's in silence, Vin didn't know what to say to Ezra and Ezra was dozing, so he didn't want to wake him anyway. It worried Vin that Ezra seemed so bad off already, it had only been 14 hours since Ezra drank the coffee, maybe it was just that he was tired, some sleep might help him. Ezra had been trying to stay awake, he thought it rude to fall asleep in someone's presence, but he couldn't help it, he kept dozing off. Before he knew it they were at his place and Vin was waking him so they could go inside, "I am sorry Vin, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." "It's all right Ezra, your ill." "Yes, thank you for pointing that out." He regretted it the minute he said it, "I didn't mean that." "Yeah ya did, but it's ok." Vin helped Ezra inside and into bed, he just hoped that Ezra would be better after a good nights sleep, or he would be going straight to the hospital. "Good night Ezra, I'll be in the next room if you need anything." "Thank you Mr. Tanner." He said as he fell asleep. + + + + + + + Ezra woke in the morning feeling better, he had slept deeply that night and it had helped, he could tell his fever was worse and his joints were aching, but otherwise he didn't feel too bad. He got up and showered, he could smell the coffee and bacon that Vin was cooking, he didn't know if he would ever be able to drink coffee again, not after this. He dressed and walked to the kitchen, he still felt a little unstable and the more he moved around, the more his joints seemed to ache. "Mornin' Ezra, how ya feelin'?" Vin asked, he could see that he seemed to look better. "Pretty good Vin, not so tired now, but I do have pain." Vin's brow creased with concern, "What kind of pain?" "My joints ache, but it's not bad." "You sure you don't want to stay home?" "No, I have to find the person that did this, I can't sit on my butt and slowly die, I 'need' to be doing something." "All right Ezra, take it easy." "I'm sorry Vin, my emotions seem to be a little out of control too." "Don't worry about it, we all understand." "Thanks Vin." Ezra sat down and tried to eat, but his stomach turned, he forced himself to eat, he knew he would need his strength to get through the day. He now had 48 hours to live and he wasn't going to waste a minute of it sitting around, because he didn't feel well, that was for wimps and he was not a wimp. "Let's get to the office, I want to get to work on the 14 people that we narrowed it down to." "Ok Ezra, just don't over exert yourself, you don't want to reduce the time you have." "Very well, let's go." They headed for the office, when they got there, Chris already had the plans for the day laid out, the men would pair up and each would get 3 people to check out, Chris was going to take the rest himself. He had teamed Ezra with Vin, they seemed to get along the best and he knew Vin would get Ezra to the hospital if need be. "All right boys, you have your lists, lets get moving, time is running out." "We will find the person, I promise you Ezra." Buck said. "Thanks Buck." "You ready to go Ezra?" Vin still had a crease of concern on his forehead, but he wouldn't ride Ezra, he knew that would only irritate him. "Yes, lets go." He walked out with Vin, when they got to Vin's Jeep, he got a sharp pain in his gut, his hand grasped at his stomach and he leaned against the Jeep, his face becoming covered in sweat. Vin did not see this, as he was on the other side of the vehicle. The pain subsided after a moment and as soon as Vin unlocked the door, he opened it and sat in the seat, hiding the pain he had suffered from Vin. Vin and Ezra arrived at the last known residence of Jessie Morales, Ezra had gone undercover to bust him for trafficking Automatic weapons. The man had claimed to 'see the light' while he was in prison, but they had to be sure, the guy knew a lot about computers and chemicals. Vin got out of the Jeep and came around to the sidewalk, then turned to see that Ezra had not gotten out, so he walked over and opened the passenger door, "You coming Ezra?" "In a moment Mr. Tanner" Ezra was having another sharp pain in his gut and couldn't move. "Ezra, what's wrong? be honest with me." "I have a sharp pain in my gut, it will pass in a moment." "You've had that before, haven't you?" "Yes, when we left, right before I got in the Jeep." "Damn it Ezra, why didn't you say something?" "What difference would it make? It's part of the poison, there's nothing anyone can do." "That's not true, I can take you to the hospital, they can at least give you something for the pain." "Sorry Vin." Ezra stepped out of the jeep, the pain had passed. "As soon as we are done here, I am taking you to the hospital, no arguments." "As you wish Mr. Tanner." His joints were aching more now too, it was getting harder to move around, but he tried to hide it from Vin, he was not about to lay around doing nothing, he would be grateful for some pain killers though. They met with Mr. Morales, what he had said about 'seeing the light' was true, he even felt very bad about what Agent Standish was going through, so this lead did not pan out, it was a dead end, so Vin headed for the hospital. + + + + + + + None of the others had any luck either, there were still several more people to check out, but so far they had gotten nowhere. Chris was not happy about this fact, so he was sitting at his desk and staring out the window, trying to figure out what to do next, he was about to call the lab and see if they had any luck, when his phone rang. "Larabee" "Chris, it's Vin, the first person we talked to was a dead end, we are now at the hospital." Chris sat up in his chair, "What's wrong Vin?" "Ezra was having sharp pains in his gut, I brought him here so he could at least get something for the pain, they are examining him now." "How is Ezra doing Vin?" "Not good Chris, he's in a lot of pain, I guess he's been having a lot of pain in his joints too, plus his fever is higher." "Keep me informed, I am calling the lab to see if they have anything." "Ok Chris, the lab here hasn't made much progress." "Ok." Chris hung up the phone and called down to the lab, "This is Agent Larabee, how is that antidote for Agent Standish coming?" "We are making some progress, but this is quite a poison, it's not easy to break down." The lab tech replied. "Time is running out and Agent Standish is getting sicker." "I understand sir, we are working around the clock, we won't let you down sir." "All right, let me know when you have something." "Yes sir." Chris hung up and turned to stare out the window again, it seemed like they were making no progress and Ezra's time was running out fast, they now had about 40 hours left to find the antidote and Ezra was getting very ill, from what Vin said, he was in a lot of pain. Ezra hated to be poked and prodded, but if it meant some relief from his pain, then he would endure it. He wanted to see Abby, but she wasn't on duty right now. He had to admit that Nurse Jessie was very sweet, tender, and beautiful, not to mention single, if he wasn't dying, he might even ask her out. Another sharp pain hit him and he doubled over, it hurt so bad and the pain in his joints seemed to be getting worse too. "Mr. Standish, are you all right?" Nurse Jessie asked, it worried her to see him doubled over in pain like that. "The sharp pain is back." "Try to ride it out, the pharmacy is filling a prescription for you, it should ease your pain a great deal." She thought he was so handsome, but seeing his face drenched in sweat and pain, made her heart break, if things had been different, she might try to get him to ask her out. She moved over to him and stroked his hair, then caressed his cheek, trying to soothe him from the pain. "Thank you nurse, it has subsided again." "Please call me Jessie, I feel like I know you, Abby has told me so much about you." "Really? What has she told you?" Ezra was trying to relax and think of something else, besides the predicament he was in. "Good things, trust me." She smiled at him and put a thermometer in his mouth, "Now be quiet while I take your temperature." Ezra nodded, her hands were soft and gentle and her eyes were filled with concern and compassion, her eyes were a beautiful shade of gray, like he had never seen. He watched her pull the thermometer out of his mouth and look at it, her brow creasing with concern, "What is it?" "Your fever is up a couple more degrees, much higher and you will become to weak to do much." "Do what you can, I have to be out there looking for the person that did this to me." "We will Ezra, let me go check on that prescription, you are obviously in a lot of pain." His beautiful green eyes were shiny from his pain and fever, she prayed that an antidote would be found in time. She came back a few minutes later and gave him a dose of his prescription, after a short time, she could see he was in much less pain and that made her happy. "I would say you are feeling better Mr. Standish." "Please, call me Ezra, and thank you for your help." "I really didn't do anything." "Yes you did, your gentle touch helped ease the pain, I am grateful." He leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the lips, then smiled and left the room. Jessie put her hand to her lips, even that small kiss had felt very good, she found herself praying even harder that Ezra would live, maybe they would have a future if he lived. + + + + + + + Ezra walked out to the waiting area, "You ready to go Mr. Tanner?" "Sure Ezra, are you?" Vin could see that Ezra seemed to feel better, he hoped that he was in less pain. "Yes, they have given me a prescription for the pain, so I feel much better." "All right, we will check out the next name on our list then." "Very good." Ezra knew who was next on the list, it was a drug dealer, one that he busted and one that cut his own drugs, so he knew much about chemicals. The mans name was Ortega, Jose Ortega. If anyone on their lists was the most likely candidate, he thought it would be Ortega. He and Vin headed out in the Jeep, it was a good half hour drive to get to the last known address of Ortega, so Ezra tried to relax, closing his eyes. "You ok Ezra?" "Yes Vin, just trying to relax." The fever was beginning to make him somewhat light headed and dizzy. "Try to get a little sleep, I will wake you when we get there." "Thank you Vin, I will try." He know sooner finished speaking when he was asleep. Vin was becoming more worried, it tore him apart to watch Ezra slowly deteriorating before his eyes, it just made the seriousness of the situation sink in more, he whispered "Hang in there Ezra, we will find the antidote, I promise." Vin arrived at the address on the piece of paper, Ezra was still asleep and he hated to wake him, but he knew Ezra would be angry if he left him there. "Ezra, wake up, we're here." "Hmmm...Oh, thank you Vin." Ezra opened his eyes, his vision was swimming and blurry, so he rubbed them to get the sleep out of them, it didn't help much. "You need a few minutes, before we go in Ezra?" Vin was still very worried about Ezra, he could see Ezra seemed to have trouble focusing. "I am ready Vin, it's not going to get any easier, so lets get it over with." Ezra opened the door and the cold December air actually felt good on his hot skin. "Take it slow Ezra." Vin got out and came around the other side, ready to offer assistance if Ezra needed it. He watched Ezra get out, his movements were slow and he was unsteady on his feet. He clung to the door like it was a lifeline. "Are you sure you don't want to wait in the Jeep?" "No, I will make it Vin, just give me a moment to get my bearings." Ezra hated this, his head was spinning and he felt very weak, but he was determined to be a part of the search, for the person that did this. He didn't like the idea of asking Vin for help, but he had no choice, "Vin, can I lean on you?" "Of course Ezra, come on." Vin put his arm around Ezra's waste and helped him walk up to the house, then let him lean against the side of the house while Vin rang the bell. A woman came to the door, "Hello, we are looking for Jose Ortega." "Who are you?' "Agents Tanner and Standish, with the ATF, we need to speak to Mr. Ortega." "He looks sick." "He's a bit ill, but it's not contagious." The woman was rather old and he figured she must be Ortega's mother. "Well, Jose is sleeping, his accident has made him weak of late." "Accident, what accident?" Vin had a bad feeling this was another dead end. "He was cutting his damn drugs in the lab, when there was an explosion, all of his fingers were blown off, he has no desire to be near drugs or anything else right now." "Thank you ma'am, you have told us what we need to know." He stepped back as the lady closed the door, then looked at Ezra, he actually seemed to have tears in his eyes. "Ezra, don't give up on me, we will find the person that did this." "I'm trying Vin, but everything is a dead end and I am getting too weak to fight." "Let's go back to the office, you can relax a bit and we can see if the lab has made any progress." "Sounds good Vin." He moved away from the side of the house and let Vin help him back to the Jeep. Then they went back to the office. + + + + + + + Chris and the others had finished checking the rest of the names, nothing. Chris was really getting scared, unless the lab could come up with an antidote, Ezra was going to die in about 36 hours. It didn't look like they would find the person that poisoned him before then, they had no leads now. He looked up as Vin walked in to his office, the look on his face told Chris the situation was bad. "How is he Vin?" "Not good Chris, he's getting weaker and he's having dizzy spells." "We had no luck, none of the names we had, panned out." "Chris, someone else is going to have to stay with Ezra tonight, I can't bare to watch him dying anymore, it's tearing me apart." "I know Vin, I will stay with him tonight, go home and get some rest, there's nothing more we can do tonight anyway." "Thanks Chris, I will see you in the morning." "Goodnight Vin." Vin left Chris's office and stopped to say goodnight to Ezra on the way out, "Chris is going to stay with you tonight Ezra, I hope you get a good nights sleep." "Thank you for all your assistance Vin." "I'll see you in the morning Ezra." At least he hoped he would. Ezra nodded, then looked at Chris as he came out of his office, his face turned white as he looked at Ezra. "Do I look that bad Mr.Larabee?" "Sorry Ezra, it just took me by surprise." Actually Ezra looked very bad, he was sweating and looked very pale, circles were beginning to form under his eyes. "You ready to go home?" "Yes and no, we have gotten nowhere Chris." "I know Ezra, but the lab said they were making some progress with an antidote, so hopefully they will have one in time." "One can only hope." He stood to head for the door, but he had to put his hand on the desk to steady himself, as a wave of dizziness swept over him. "Ezra, wait there, I will help you." Chris moved to Ezra and put his arm around his waist, he was beginning to understand why Vin was having trouble being with Ezra, it hurt to see him like this, knowing he was slowly dying and not being able to do anything about it. He got Ezra down to his truck and settled in, then drove him home, getting him some of his pain pills and then into bed, when Ezra woke in the morning, he would only have about a day left to live. That thought made Chris's heart squeeze tightly, one day, 24 hours. Chris had trouble going to sleep, his mind was wrought with fear of losing Ezra. Chris woke in the morning, he quietly went into Ezra's bedroom to check on him. He put a hand on Ezra's forehead, it was very warm, Ezra's fever had to be fairly high and it worried him that his touch on Ezra's forehead did not cause him to stir. "Ezra, it's morning, you want to get up, or would you rather stay in bed?" "Hmmmmmmm?" Then he groaned, slowly opening his eyes. "Chris? I need my pain medicine, please?" His eyes were full of pain. "Sure Ezra, just lay still, I will get them for you and you can just stay in bed, at least until they have time to take effect." He watched Ezra nod, then got his pills, which were on the night stand, and a glass of water. "Here you go Ezra, take it easy now." Ezra swallowed the pills, but almost choked, every inch of his body ached terribly and he thought he would rather die now, than be in this kind of pain. He realized that his vision was a bit blurry too, so he closed them again, just laying still until the medication could take effect, he wasn't about to stay in bed. Chris fixed himself some breakfast and hoped he could get Ezra to eat some, once he felt well enough to get up, if he felt well enough to get up. As he was putting his dishes in the sink, the phone rang, "Hello?" "Ezra?" "No, he's sleeping, this is Agent Larabee." "Oh, I am sorry, this is nurse Jessie, from the hospital, I was calling to see how Ezra was doing." "He's not good, I think he will have to be admitted to the hospital before long, but he will fight it, why do you ask?" "To be honest, I care about him a lot, he's a special man." "Yes he is, I can understand your attraction to him, many women are." "He has a lot of girlfriends then?" She felt disappointment begin to wash over her. "No, he doesn't usually pay much attention to them, unless he really likes them too, so you should be flattered, he seems to like you a lot." "He does?" "Yes" "Please tell him I called." "I will Jessie, good bye." "Good bye Mr. Larabee." Chris hung up the phone and went to check on Ezra, as he got closer to Ezra's room, he could hear the shower. "Good, Ezra must be feeling better." He said aloud, then fixed a light breakfast for Ezra. Ezra had gotten up and went to take a shower, the medicine had taken effect and he felt better, not great, but better, he could tell his fever was effecting him though, he couldn't concentrate and kept getting dizzy. He managed to get his shower taken and got dressed, then walked very carefully to the living room, using the wall for support. He watched Chris approach him with a bowl of cereal, some fruit cut up on top, he sat heavily on the couch and took the bowl, he didn't know how much he could eat, but he would try, he needed his strength if he was going to get through the day. Get through the day, if they didn't find an antidote, he wouldn't make it through the day. "Thank you Mr. Larabee." "For what?" "Just being here and helping me." "Your welcome Ezra, I want to make you as comfortable as possible." Ezra ate most of the cereal, to his amazement. Then he and Chris headed for the office, Ezra wanted to do some more research and sitting at his desk shouldn't be too hard. Chris headed for the lab, he wanted to know what they had come up with. "Do you have an antidote yet?" He asked the tech. "No, I am sorry, but we are closer, I wish I could promise you we would have it in time, but I can't, we are trying, but it is taking time." "Please hurry, Ezra only has a day left." "I know Mr. Larabee, I don't want Mr. Standish to die either." "Ok, keep me posted." "I will." Chris went back upstairs, he saw Ezra sitting at his desk, he was struggling to stay upright as he read some files. Chris thought perhaps they should get Ezra to the hospital and check him in, before he fell and hurt himself or something. He had a couple of things to take care of first, so he went to his office to make a couple of calls. Ezra was going through some more files, trying to find anything that would help, but he wasn't finding anything and he could barely concentrate, his vision kept blurring too, it was a struggle to sit in his chair, but he didn't want to go home, or to the hospital. He needed something to drink, something cold, his throat felt dry and scratchy, so he carefully stood to go to the water cooler. He took 4 or 5 steps and the world suddenly went dark and he collapsed to the floor. "EZRA" JD yelled, then ran to his unconscious friend. "What's going on?" Chris said as he came out of the office, then when he saw Ezra laying on the floor, hurried over to him. "JD, call an ambulance." He reached down to check Ezra's pulse, it was there but weak, this had him very worried. He looked at Ezra's face, it was covered in sweat and very pale. "Hang on Ezra, don't give up on us." "God, what happened Chris?" Buck said as he and Nathan walked in. "He just collapsed, JD has called for an ambulance, it was time he was admitted to the hospital anyway." Buck and Nathan both noticed the look of concern on Chris's face, and something else, guilt? Was Chris feeling guilty about Ezra? Why? "Chris, are you feeling guilty?" Nathan asked.' "Yes, we should have found an antidote before it got this bad." "It's not your fault, the poison is unique, it's not easy to come up with an antidote for something like that." "Still, we should have been able to find the person that did this to him." "Chris the ambulance is on it's way." JD said. "Good." Chris reached down and put his hand on Ezra's forehead, he was very hot. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later, the men all watched Ezra being put on the stretcher and covered with a blanket, he was still unconscious. "All right boys, I am going to the hospital, I want at least one of you to stay here and be ready to rush the antidote over to the hospital, if the lab comes up with one in time." "I'll stay Chris." Nathan said "Me too." Josiah added. "All right, the rest of you can come with me, if you want." He watched them all nod, then they followed the paramedics out with Ezra, watching as they put him in the ambulance. They all got into Chris's truck and followed the ambulance to the hospital, everyone was silent, they were all praying that Ezra would make it. Chris picked up his cell phone and dialed a number, "Can I speak to nurse Jessie please?" "Yes, I will hold." A moment passed, "Jessie, it's Agent Larabee, we are on our way to the hospital, we are following the ambulance that Ezra is in, he collapsed." "Oh God, Ok Mr. Larabee, I will be ready when he gets here, I don't know what we can do though." "Just do what you can to keep him alive and comfortable." "I can do that sir." "Good, we should be there in a few minutes." "I will be waiting." She hung up the phone and felt tears in her eyes, but she pushed them away, Ezra needed her to be strong now. She went down to the emergency entrance to wait for the ambulance, she had a room ready for him and as soon as he was settled in, she would do what she could for him. + + + + + + + Ezra was in agony, his body was in tremendous pain and he didn't want to open his eyes, he knew he was in an ambulance, but he didn't care. He didn't think he had ever been in more pain in his entire life, any injuries he had in the past were nothing compared to this, they had only caused him pain where the injury was, but this, this was making his entire body scream in pain. He wanted his pain pills, but knew that wouldn't happen now, he hoped that once he was to the hospital, they would give him something stronger. He felt himself being removed from the ambulance and taken into the hospital, then he heard Jessie's voice and it made him relax a little, he knew she would take good care of him. "Ezra, please open your eyes, I know your not unconscious." "I don't want to open them." He knew the light would drill into his brain, making his headache worse. "Please Ezra, I need to see how your pupils react, I promise that you will be getting something for the pain in a few moments." "All right." He opened his eyes and squinted against the light, he saw Jessie's beautiful face, filled with concern, then he felt her gentle touch on his face. "Thank you Ezra, I know your in pain and I am sorry." She bent and kissed his forehead, "I will take care of that as soon as we have you settled in your room." "Thank you Jessie" "Your welcome Ezra, you can close your eyes again if you want." She watched his beautiful emerald eyes close, they were so filled with pain right now. She got him settled in his room and put an IV in his arm, so he could get some stronger pain medication and nutrients. Then she took a cool, wet cloth and wiped the sweat from his face, neck, and arms. She though he had such soft skin and his arms were so strong, she had to shake her thoughts of being held by those arms. She was in serious trouble, she knew she was falling hard for him and she had to try not to let her feelings get in the way. "Thank you Jessie." His eyes opened and he reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. He was almost shocked by the emotions he saw in her gray eyes, she really was beautiful and sweet and wonderful. "Your welcome Ezra, how do you feel?" "Better, not much pain now, but I still feel very weak." "Try to get some sleep, do you know how much time you have left?" She wanted to know, so she could be prepared if an antidote wasn't found, she knew her heart would be torn from her chest, if he died. "I think about 16 hours." "Oh God" She couldn't help it, she began to cry. "Jessie, please don't do that, it hurts me to see you cry." He reached up and wiped the tear from her face, then she took his hand in hers. "Ezra, I have to confess that I am falling in love with you and I don't know what I will do if you die." "Darlin, I have feelings for you too, I'm not sure what they are yet, I am a bit distracted, but please don't cry." "I will try, I don't usually cry this easy." She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss, his arm came around her and held her, so she let the kiss linger, she knew this was against the rules, but she didn't care. She finally pulled away when she realized that Ezra had fallen asleep. "I will be back Ezra, I do love you." Time Remaining: 12 hours When Ezra woke again, several hours had passed, the pain medication was working, but he knew other things were happening, his arms and legs would barely move, they were stiff and his breathing was getting more labored. His head was spinning and he knew his fever was high, he was afraid that the poison was going to do permanent damage to his body. He looked around and saw Chris sitting in a chair, he seemed to be reading a file. "Mr. Larabee, it is not necessary for you sit with me, I am in good hands here." Chris looked up at the sound of Ezra's weak voice, "That may be true Ezra, but I want to be here, I don't want you to be alone at a time like this." "Thank you Chris, but there are better things you could be doing." "The others are taking care of things, it's all under control." "Any word on an antidote?" Ezra's voice was weak and he was beginning to wheeze. "The lab said they were getting close, but couldn't guarantee they would have it in time, but they are working around the clock." "Good" Nurse Jessie walked into the room, "Hello Mr. Larabee, how are you?" "Fine Jessie, how are you?" "Worried about Ezra, very worried." "You shouldn't be worrying about me." "Oh, I am sorry Ezra, I thought you were still asleep, how do you feel?" "Not good, but I have less pain." "Your breathing is awfully labored, I want to check you over, would you mind waiting outside Mr. Larabee?" "No, not at all, I will be back later Ezra." "Thanks Chris, Jessie, what good is checking me over going to do? only an antidote can help me." "You never know Ezra, there may be some way to ease your symptoms,besides I wanted to be alone with you for a moment." She moved next to him and took his wrist, checking his pulse, she also put her hand on his forehead, it was very hot. "Your fever is rather high Ezra, we should try to get that down, your pulse is a bit weak too, not much we can do about that I am afraid." "Jessie, thank you for taking such good care of me, Abby will be proud." "Well, we both care about you, but I care about you in a much different way, I am falling in love with you and falling hard I am afraid." "Afraid? Why because I am going to die?" "No, I just meant that I don't know if your falling in love with me, so it frightens me a little." "My darlin Jessie, I do care for you deeply, but I can't say it's love, maybe if the antidote is found and I live, I can be more sure." He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. His other hand then came up and wrapped around her neck, pulling her to him, then he began to consume her lips, tasting them and trying to burn every second of it into his memory, in case he never got to do it again. He heard her moan, so he made the kiss a little deeper, savoring every sweet moment. Jessie had to pull away, before she fainted, he was an incredible kisser and she fell even more in love with him after that kiss and in a way it scared her, because it would make it that much harder if he died. "Ezra........I...I have to go" "Jessie, I am sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." "You didn't, but your making me love you even more and that will make it harder if you die." A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly turned and left the room. "I am sorry Jessie." He whispered to the empty space that she had been occupying. + + + + + + + Nathan and Josiah sat at the office, going through some files and waiting, impatiently, for word from the lab, but none was forthcoming. "Nathan, how bad do you think it will get for Ezra?" "Very bad, of course if no antidote is found, he will die." "I am praying for him Brother Nathan, we have had our difficulties with him, but it would be a tragedy to lose him, our unit would not be the same." "Yeah, I agree, Ezra and I have had many arguments, but he has shown me a lot since then, there is a heart of gold under that hard, undercover agent, exterior." "Yep, when we first met, I thought he was the most selfish person I knew, but now he's seems like the least selfish person I know." "I just wish we could find the heathen that did this to him Josiah, I can't imagine a good reason for doing something like that." "No, it's obviously a very evil, sick person, I pray for their soul." Josiah picked the phone up as it rang, "Sanchez" "It's Chris, how are things coming there?" "Nothing yet Chris, we are going through more files, but no word from the lab yet, how's Ezra?" "Not good, but in less pain, I can see him slipping away Josiah, it's tearing me apart and there is nothing I can do about it." "I know Chris, our prayers are with him, let someone else sit with him for a while." "No, I don't want anyone else feeling the way I do, it's bad enough Vin does too, I will check back later, good bye Josiah." "Good bye Chris" Josiah looked at Nathan as he hung up the phone and just shook his head. Time Remaining: 11 hours Ezra had fallen back to sleep again, it was harder and harder to stay awake and he knew that soon he would not wake again. At least when he was asleep, he didn't feel as bad, his head didn't swim and since his breathing was more shallow when asleep, it didn't seem as hard to breath. Jessie had done everything she could to bring his fever down, she had managed to bring it down a few degrees, but it was still high and he was becoming delirious. Jessie was very worried, she tried to believe that an antidote would be found in time, but as each hour passed and there wasn't one, her hope faded. It tore her apart to watch him slowly dying and she could see the pain in Mr. Larabee's eyes too, she knew he was feeling the same way she was, she had never felt so helpless in her entire life and she imagined that feeling must be ten fold for a man like Mr. Larabee, he was a take action and get result, type of man and she could only imagine what he was going through as he sat in a chair, next to Ezra's bed and watched him die. Her shift would be over in a few hours, but she would not be leaving the hospital, she would stay and help Abby, she had to be with Ezra to the end, whatever end that might be, if he was going to die, she wanted to be there to say good bye, if he lived, she wanted to be there to celebrate. Chris didn't know how much longer he could stand to watch Ezra slowly dying, it was tearing him apart and the feelings of helplessness were overwhelming, but he would not leave Ezra alone, not for anything, even though he had Jessie, and later would have Abby, it was not the same. Buck, JD, and Vin had all come by to see Ezra, but he was asleep and the doctor would not allow them all to stay in the room, so they were out in the waiting area, he was about to go and let one of the others sit with Ezra for a while, but he heard Ezra groan. "Ezra, how are you feeling?" "Awful, what time is it?" "You've been asleep for about a 1/2 hour, you should go back to sleep, save your strength." Chris reached over and put his hand on Ezra's forehead, it was hot. "Any word?" As each hour passed, Ezra lost hope of an antidote, he began to accept the fact that he was going to die and that he would not see the new year. "No, I am sorry, they are still working on the antidote, but it's slow going." Chris felt his heart aching at the thought of losing one of his men, especially Ezra, it had taken so long for him to become a part of their family, trusting them enough to let them in and let them see his true self. "Go back to sleep Ezra." He watched Ezra's eyes close as he nodded. Chris got up and went to the waiting area, there were actually tears in his eyes. "Chris, what's wrong?" Vin asked. "Nothing, it's just so hard to sit there and watch him die." "I know Chris, I had to do that for long enough and so have you, let someone else sit with him a while." "I hate to make anyone else go through that, it's bad enough you and I have Vin." "I will go, I know it will be hard, but I can do it." Buck said. "All right Buck, but you have been warned, it's not as easy as you think." "I know Chris, but I can't let you go through it any more, someone needs to take your place." Buck could see the pain in Chris's eyes, it was something he hadn't seen since Sarah and Adam died, he knew it must be tearing him apart inside, he was as helpless to do anything now, as he had been then. He watched Chris sit heavily into a chair, trying to hide the moisture in his eyes, but Buck saw it. Time Remaining: 10 hours Josiah found another file in one of Ezra's other desk drawers, it was marked personal, but at this point he felt that looking at something personal was not something to worry about, they needed any clues they could get. He opened the file and saw a picture of a mousy woman with small, beady looking eyes. The name on the photo said Gertrude Wilson, and she was a former FBI Chemist. That got Josiah's attention, so he continued to read the file. It seemed that she had been a chemist with the FBI at the same time Ezra was with the FBI, she had fallen in love with Ezra, but he had no interest in her, she seemed harsh and abrasive and then Ezra had caught her using the FBI lab to cut drugs, so he had busted her and sent her to prison, she was supposedly still in prison, but something told Josiah that wasn't the case, he was sure he had found the person that poisoned Ezra. "Nathan, take a look at this and tell me if you get the same impression that I did." "Sure Josiah, where did you find this?" Taking the file from Josiah. "In one of Ezra's other drawers, he must not have wanted anyone to know about it." "Wonder why, there's nothing to be ashamed of." "Yeah, but you know Ezra." "Yeah Josiah, I do, we should ask him about this." "Good idea, I'll call Chris." + + + + + + + Buck had been with Ezra for the past hour, watching him moan in his sleep and his head thrashed about. He couldn't help wondering what Ezra was dreaming about, or if he was dreaming, maybe he was in that much pain, he hoped not. He decided to wake him, either way he shouldn't be suffering like that. "Ezra, hey pard wake up." Ezra groaned and tried to open his eyes, everything was blur and his body was wracked with pain, despite the pain medication. "Buck?" "Yeah Ezra, are you in pain?" He watched Ezra's head nod, he decided he better get the nurse. "Hang on Ezra, I'll get the nurse." "Thanks Buck." Buck went out of the room and to the nurses station, Jessie was there, so she promptly followed Buck back to the room, "Wait out here for a moment, please." "Sure Miss." Jessie came into the room and looked at Ezra, his face was filled with pain and she could see that his eyes couldn't focus. "Ezra, I am here, let me give you a little more pain medication." She reached up and turned the dial on the IV so that more pain medication would come through the IV. "That should help in a few minutes." She wanted to just take him in her arms and hold him tight, until he didn't feel any more pain, but she knew she couldn't. "Jessie, it hurts so bad and my vision is a blur, I'm scared." "I know Ezra, I am sorry I wish I could take this all away." She took his hand and held it tight, then reached up to caress his cheek with her hand, trying to soothe him a little. "Jessie, don't leave me." "I have to Ezra, but my shift is over in another hour, then I will be here to stay." She leaned down and kissed him gently on the mouth, becoming lost in the feelings that surged through her, every time she kissed him. "I'll be back my sweet Ezra." "Jessie?" "Yes Ezra." "I think I love you too, I just hope we get the chance to explore these feelings." "Me too Ezra, I will be back soon." She watched Ezra fall back to sleep, her heart wanted to cry out as she looked at his handsome face, knowing he was dying. "I love you." she whispered. She left the room, Mr. Wilmington was still standing outside the room, "You can go back in now, I gave him some more pain medicine and he's asleep again." "Thank you nurse." Buck smiled, she was a beautiful lady, he might like to get to know her better, he didn't know she was in love with Ezra. He went back and sat down next to Ezra's bed, he touched Ezra's hand and felt the heat in his body, "Hang in there pard, I just know we'll find a way to save you." He heard Ezra moan, so he sat back and stayed quiet, not wanting to wake him. Time Remaining: 9 hours Chris found that sitting in the waiting area wasn't any better, in fact it seemed worse, at least when he could see Ezra, he knew he was still alive and still fighting. Sitting out in the waiting area, he had no way of knowing, it was driving him crazy, suddenly his cell phone rang, "Larabee" "Chris, it's Josiah, we found a file in one of Ezra's other desk drawers, he seemed to have it hidden for some reason, anyway the file is on a woman named Gertrude Wilson, she was a former FBI chemist, she had fallen in love with Ezra, but he had not even paid much attention to her, the betrayal perhaps, plus Ezra caught her using the FBI lab to cut drugs and busted her, she is supposedly in prison, but we haven't checked her whereabouts yet." "Do it, I want to know where this woman is, I am going to try and talk to Ezra about this." "Ok Chris, we will let you know what we find out." "Good, call me as soon as you know." "Ok" Josiah hung up the phone, then picked it back up and dialed the number to the prison she was supposed to be in. "Hello, this is Agent Sanchez with the ATF, I need to know if one, Gertrude Wilson is still imprisoned there, yes I'll hold." The minutes ticked by slowly and Josiah began to fidget. "Yes, she was? when? Ok, do you have an address or the name of her parole officer?" He wrote down the information and hung up. "Well?" Nathan asked. "She was paroled for good behavior a week ago." "It's got to be her then, she is getting back at Ezra for busting her and not loving her." Nathan sighed, they still had to find an antidote and the woman, he doubted she would tell them anything, no matter what, but they had to try. "I am going to call Chris and give him this information, but I will wait until he gets a chance to talk to Ezra." "Good idea, give me the number for her parole officer and I will see what they know." + + + + + + + Chris walked into Ezra's room, Buck was dozing with his hand on Ezra's, who also seemed to be dozing. He hated to wake them , but he needed to know what Ezra knew, about this woman. "Buck, Ezra, wake up, I need to talk to you Ezra." "Chris?" Ezra groaned, he felt like hell and just wished the end would come. "Yes Ezra, we have a lead, but I need to know why you had her file hidden." He saw the confusion in Ezra's emerald eyes and added, "You had a file for Gertrude Wilson, hidden in a drawer." "Oh, that." "Yeah that Ezra, she sounds like a pretty good candidate for the person that did this to you." He saw Ezra concentrating on what Chris said, but he was having trouble. "She, she is in prison." Ezra felt so confused and his speech was beginning to slur, as if he were drunk. "That remains to be seen, why didn't you tell us about her?" "It was a long time ago...I think...yes, a long time ago, it slipped my mind." He felt Buck's hand on his shoulder, trying to provide some strength. "Take it easy Ezra, we aren't mad at you, we just need to know." "She, was obsessed, I tried to ignore her, so she wouldn't get any impression that I had any feelings, but......but it didn't stop her, no she.....she stalked me until I caught her.....she was using...using the lab, to cut drugs...yeah, I think that's what it was." "Ok Ezra, you go back to sleep, we will do the rest." Chris watched Ezra close his confusion filled eyes, he was very worried, the poison seemed to be really effecting his mind right now. "Chris, do we have any information on this woman?" Buck asked. "I am waiting to hear back from Josiah and Nathan, they are checking her out now." "Ok, I am going to stay here with Ezra, he needs someone here." "Ok, I think Jessie's shift is almost over, I know she will be here for him as soon as she is free." "Is that the beautiful nurse that I saw?" "Yes Buck, but lay off, she and Ezra are in love." "Wow, really? That's great, I hope he lives to love her." "So do I." With that Chris left the room and Buck sat back down with Ezra. Time Remaining: 8 hours Chris's phone rang again, "What have you got Josiah?" "Ms. Wilson was paroled a week ago for good behavior, Nathan is talking to her parole officer now." "Do you have an address on her?" "Yes, but I want to see what Nathan has to say before I give it to you, no point in a wild goose chase." "Good idea, thanks Josiah." "Sure, hang on Chris, Nathan's got something for me." He listened to what Nathan said, then went back to Chris. "As far as the parole officer knows the address is correct, but since she hasn't had to check in yet, he doesn't know if she's still there." "Give me the address, so we can go check it out, I don't want you to leave there, in case they get an antidote." "Ok Chris" He gave Chris the address, then hung up, he was very worried, he knew time was running out and so far the lab had no antidote. + + + + + + + Ezra was having greater difficulty breathing, so when Jessie came in, ready to stay with him until it ended, one way or the other, she went back out and told Abby that they needed to put Ezra on oxygen, he was having too much trouble breathing, Abby moved quickly to do so. A moment later Mr. Larabee came in and got Buck, they had a lead, which gave Jessie hope. "Jessie, you will be here for him now?" Chris asked. "Yes, my shift is over and I will not leave him." "Good, because the rest of us need to go track this woman down." "It was a woman?" Jessie was shocked, she couldn't imagine how anyone could do this to such a wonderful man, much less a woman. "It could be, we don't know yet." "I will be here for him, don't worry." She watched them leave, then turned back to Ezra, he was so pale and the oxygen tubes in his nose made her want to cry, he was slipping away and there was nothing she could do, except make him comfortable and know that he is loved. She sat in the chair that had been occupied by Mr. Wilmington, and took Ezra's soft, hot hand, his fever making his skin radiate heat. "Please hold on Ezra, I love you and need you in my life, I don't know what I would do without you." She kissed his hand and held it tight. Ezra could feel Jessie holding his hand, he knew how much she loved him, he just hoped he lived to show her how much he loved her, which was more than he ever loved anyone, she was so amazingly sweet and compassionate, not to mention beautiful and smart, he loved looking deeply into her amazing gray eyes. The oxygen they had given him made his breathing easier, but he could feel his heart beginning to beat at a strange rate and it scared him. Jessie noticed that the heart monitor they had Ezra on, had changed, his heart was beginning to beat erratically, she just hoped he could hang on, that an antidote would be found in time, but she found herself crying, her hope of his survival of this, diminishing with every hour. "Oh please Ezra, hang on, keep fighting please, I need you." She leaned over and kissed him again, wanting him to know how much she loved him and wanted him around. Time Remaining: 7 Hours Just after Jessie left the room to freshen up a bit, a surprise visitor walked in, Ezra was barely awake, but his eyes grew wide with shock and surprise, he whispered, "What are you doing here?" "I came to see how my handy work was coming, I see it's having the desired effect Ezra." "Why Gertrude? why?" "Because you ruined my life and would not love me, I can't let you get away with that." She smiled as she took in Ezra's weakened appearance, she had to see this for herself, watch him suffer, but she knew she had to leave soon, or be caught. "You have what? 7 hours left, it's going to get worse for you Ezra, your heart will start to have trouble beating, you are already having trouble breathing, they will not find an antidote either, I made it very hard to do, so forget about that." Jessie stood by the door listening in horror as the woman spoke, 'how could anyone do something so evil to someone so wonderful?' she wondered. She then ran to the nurses station and dialed Mr. Larabee's phone number. "Larabee" "Mr. Larabee, this is Jessie, the woman you are looking for is in Ezra's room, I did not let on that I knew she was there, you have to get back here right away." She was frantic. "Calm down Jessie, we are on our way." Chris hung up and drove faster, the address they had was a dead end, no one had lived there for a long time, so if they were going to catch Ms. Wilson, this was their only chance. "What's happening Chris?" Buck asked. "Gertrude Wilson is in Ezra's room right now, wanted so make sure the poison was working I guess." "Damn, well I don't think she will hurt him, she's already done that." "No Buck, but this is our only chance to catch her." "That's true, but will she tell us of the antidote?" "Not likely." They fell silent, just trying to get back to the hospital as fast as they could. + + + + + + + Jessie decided she had to do something to keep the woman from leaving, she could lock her in the room, but she might harm Ezra and she didn't want that. She went back to Ezra's room and peeked in, the woman was still there, she saw Ezra look at her and she knew what he wanted her to do, he wanted her to lock the woman in the room, he wasn't worried about what would happen to him, she thought he was so brave. She reached in and pulled the door shut, locking it from the outside and turned the lock at the top of the door, which could not be unlocked from the inside, because the regular lock could be unlocked from the inside too. Gertrude ran to the door and turned the lock, the door unlocked but she still could not get it open. "Let me out or I will kill him." "He's already dying, why should I do that?" "Because I will kill him now." "Sorry, can't do that." Jessie prayed that Mr. Larabee and the others got there fast. She heard the woman pounding on the door, she was scared, not for herself, but for Ezra, she loved him and didn't want anything to happen to him. Time Remaining: 6 Hours, 27 Minutes "Why don't...you just....give up....Gertrude?" "No, not after all the trouble I went through to pull this off." "You won't......get out....of here." "So they catch me then, so what, at least I get the satisfaction of knowing you will be dead." Gertrude was livid, but she would not let Ezra see that, it would be another victory for him and she would not allow that. She turned when she heard the door open and knew she was caught. "Ok you caught me, take me away, but I am not telling you anything, no matter what you do to me." "We will see Ms. Wilson, we don't let people get away with things like this, I think we can get you to talk." Chris was very angry, this woman was heartless and cold blooded, he hadn't run across many men as bad as her. "I will die before I tell you anything, Ezra must die." She continued with her ranting even as Buck and JD dragged her away, "Ezra must die, Ezra must die." Her ranting made Jessie start to cry, the woman was insane and she had killed Ezra, or would soon. At least Jessie knew that the woman would get the death penalty for murdering a Federal Agent. She turned and ran into the room, to see if Ezra was all right, he was struggling to get his breath back, from the excitement, "Ezra, try to take slow deep breaths, I know it's hard but try." "I....am Jessie." "Stop talking, just relax, she's been caught and can't hurt you any more." She stroked his hair, trying to soothe him, he had gotten too excited and she was worried that he would pass out from not being able to get enough oxygen into his lungs. "I am....trying." He saw her give him a glare, so he shut his mouth and tried to breath deep. He grew more frightened with each passing hour, it was harder to breath, he could feel his heart doing strange things in his chest, the pain in his body was getting worse, and his boughts of dizziness and confusion were getting more frequent. He closed his eyes and let the darkness take him, only feeling Jessie's gentle touch, as she stroked his hair. Jessie watched his eyes close, she wondered how much longer it would be, before they closed and never opened again, the thought made her want to cry, never seeing those emerald gems again. She could see the love in his eyes when he looked at her, it was hard to see through the pain and fear, but it was definitely there. She continued to stroke his hair, looking at the heart monitor, his heartbeat was irregular. "Hang on my love, I just know there will be a miracle." She bent and kissed his forehead, then sat in the chair, hoping for a little sleep of her own, her hand never letting go of his. Chris watched Jessie, she really did love Ezra very much, he was happy to see that, it was hard for Ezra to become involved, it had to be a special woman and Jessie was that. Knowing that Ezra was in good hands, he was going to the office to interrogate their prisoner, he would MAKE her talk, somehow. In this case he had no problem with hitting a woman, she deserved that and more. Time Remaining: 5 Hours 45 Minutes Buck had never felt like hitting a woman before, he respected them and thought of them as treasures, but now all he wanted to do was beat the information out of Ms. Wilson. "Tell us the antidote and maybe you won't get the chair." "I'm not afraid, I would die happy knowing that Ezra was dead, I hate him and I hate all of you." She spat in Bucks face. Buck pulled his hand back and slapped her across the face, watching shock cross her face, she hadn't thought he would actually hit her, "Didn't believe I'd do it did you?" "No" "Well, now you see that I mean what I say, so tell me the antidote." "No, do what you want, I don't care." She watched him turn and leave the room, a smile spread across her face, they wouldn't hurt her, other than a slap, so she was safe. "Chris, I can't do this, I want to strangle the life out of her." Buck was pacing back and forth in front of Chris. "I know Buck, but I have an idea, we need some sodium pentathol." Chris had a fire of rage in his eyes, yet his voice was as cold as ice, he was not going to waste precious time trying to get her to talk. "Find Nathan and see if he can get some from the lab." "Good idea Chris, I bet she doesn't expect us to do this." A smile came over Bucks face at the look on her face when she realizes what they are going to do. He hurried off to find Nathan, while Chris stood watching Ms. Wilson through the 2 way mirror, letting her squirm for a bit. + + + + + + + Jessie had managed to fall asleep, her head laying on the bed next to Ezra, her hand still holding his tightly. Her dreams were filled with visions of the possible future she could have with Ezra and they were the best dreams she ever had, full of happiness and love. She woke to the feel of Ezra's hand stroking her hair, it felt so good. "Ezra?" "Jessie, I need.....to tell you....something.....before..it's .....too late." "Shhh Ezra, don't talk, you don't need to tell me, I know." "I do....I have to......" Ezra took a deep breath, which hurt like hell, "I love you." He looked deeply into her gray eyes and he could feel her love for him, flow into him through her eyes. "I know, I love you too, more than I have ever loved anyone." She became lost in his deep gaze, she could see the love, it blocked out the pain and fear that was normally in his eyes and all she saw was the love. She leaned over and kissed him gently, feeling his arm move around her. She stopped suddenly when she heard one of the monitors begin to beep erratically. She looked at Ezra and his eyes were closing and his body began to convulse, before she could react the doctor was already in the room. "What's happening?" "Nurse, calm down, he's having a seizure, hold him still while I give him this shot." "Yes Doctor." Jessie had panicked, but now she did as the doctor asked, a moment after he gave Ezra the shot, Ezra calmed down and his heartbeat returned to normal, but he remained unconscious. "Keep a close eye on him Jessie, let me know if there is even the slightest change." "Yes, I will." She watched him leave and a moment later Abby came in. "How is he?" "Not good Abby, he just had a seizure, now he's unconscious, I am so scared, I don't want him to die." "I know Jessie, I don't either, he's a special man and a good friend." She took Jessie in her arms and held her for a moment, letting her cry. "Are you all right Jessie?" "Yes, I will be, but I don't know what I will do if he dies." "You have to keep positive thoughts that he isn't going to die Jessie, you have to." "I know Abby, thank you." She watched Abby go, then turned back to Ezra, just looking at his handsome face and wanting him in her life for a very long time. Time Remaining: 3 Hours 32 Minutes It took a little time, but Buck found Nathan and Nathan got some sodium pentathol from the lab, now all they had to do was give it to Ms. Wilson and then they would have the answers they needed. Buck and Chris watched through the mirror as Nathan went into the interrogation room to give her the injection. "This won't hurt a bit little miss, but it should loosen that tongue of yours." "What is that? you can't do this, I have rights." "You gave those up when you poisoned Ezra." Nathan swabbed her arm, then injected the pentathol into her, now they just had to wait for it to take effect. "This sodium pentathol should get you talkin." Nathan then left the room and joined Chris and Buck, "How long will it be until it takes effect?" Chris asked. "About 10 or 15 minutes, then she will tell us anything we want to know." Nathan replied. "Good, time is running out, Ezra's only got about 3 hours left to live." "Any word on an antidote from the lab?" Buck asked. "When I picked up the pentathol, they said they were making progress and hoped to have an antidote in time, but still could not guarantee that." "That's ok, we will have Ms. Wilson's help, whether she likes it or not." Chris's steel, cold gaze never left the woman, as he watched her sitting in the chair, looking very nervous. + + + + + + + Jessie was worried, Ezra had not regained consciousness yet, she feared that he never would, perhaps he will remain unconscious until the end. She ran her hand down his cheek, it was stubbly, but still so amazingly soft. She then stroked his hair, wishing she could see those amazing green eyes just one more time, she lost herself in those eyes and she wanted that again. She looked up as the doctor came in, "Hello doctor." "Hello Jessie, he is still unconscious?" "Yes, is he going to wake again?" "Right now I have to say no, if the antidote is not found, he will die and he will not wake again before that happens." Jessie knew this doctor fairly well, she had never seen him this upset, she knew it had to be frustrating for him, not being able to do anything for Ezra. "He's slipping away, isn't he?" "I am afraid so, his heartbeat is becoming very irregular and weak, I have arranged for him to be put on a respirator, his lungs are no longer strong enough to do the breathing on their own." "Do whatever you have to to keep him alive, I just know an antidote will be found in time." A tear ran down her cheek as she looked at Ezra, looking peaceful, but knowing he was dying. "I pray your right Jessie, because I am running out of things I can do for him." The concern was etched on his face, he had never felt so helpless. "You have done more than anyone could ask and I thank you from the bottom of my heart." "I know how much he has come to mean to you Jessie, I see it in your eyes." "Yes, I do love him with all my heart and soul." She went back to caressing his cheek, wanting to touch him for as long as she could, remembering every little detail, in case she never got to do it again. "I will go now, someone will be in shortly to put him on the respirator." "Thank you doctor, for everything." "Your welcome Jessie, I am praying for him." She watched him leave, his head hung low and his shoulders were slumped, she felt bad for him, he wanted to do more, but there was no more to do, except wait. Time Remaining: 2 Hours 45 Minutes "Tell us how to make the antidote for the poison." Chris said to Ms. Wilson, she was fighting the sodium pentathol and so far they hadn't gotten anything. They were not giving up though, if they had to they would give her more, until she couldn't fight it. Gertrude groaned, it was hard to fight the pentathol, but she was trying. She would fight to the end, she was not going to give them what they needed to save Ezra, never. "Go to hell Larabee." "Damn Chris, this isn't working, what do we do now?" Buck asked. "Nathan, give her more." "Chris, I can't give her too much, it could kill her eventually." "I don't care Nathan, give her more." "All right, but not a lot." Nathan stepped up and injected more pentathol into her, hoping they wouldn't get in trouble for this, but right now saving Ezra's life was more important. "We'll have to give it a few minutes to kick in." "All right, I want everyone out of the room until she's ready, let her sweat." Chris opened the door and they all walked out of the room. Just as he was about to say something, his cell phone rang, "Larabee" "Mr. Larabee, this is Jessie, I thought you would want to know that Ezra is now unconscious and on a respirator, the doctor does not think he will wake again." She was having a hard time not crying. "Jessie, I am sorry, we will be there soon, please try to stay positive, we will get an antidote." "Thanks Mr. Larabee, I just thought you would want to know." "Yes, thank you Jessie." Chris ended the call and looked at the men around him. "That was Jessie, Ezra is unconscious and on a respirator, she said the doctor doesn't think he will wake again." Chris's heart was heavy and full of rage, he was going to get the information they needed from that woman, no matter what. "Damn Chris, he's getting worse, we have to do something." Vin spoke up. He had been quiet, his thoughts would not leave Ezra. His friend was dying and there was nothing he could do about it, that tore him apart. "I know Vin, lets get back in there and make her talk." They all went back into the room, JD had pen and paper ready to write down what she said. "Tell us the antidote for the poison." "I....I can't, then Ezra will live, I want him to die, I hate him." She knew that she was saying the truth, but she still tried to fight telling them the antidote, then she had an idea, she could give them a fake one, by the time they figured it out, it would be too late, "All right, I will tell you." She began telling them about different chemicals that would be needed, all fake, at least they would leave her alone for a while. "Good, JD get that information to the lab, now." "Sure Chris, I'm on my way." JD ran out the door and headed for the lab. "Josiah, you and Vin take this....this woman to the jail, the rest of us are going to the hospital." "Ok Chris, you want us to come back here and wait for the antidote?" Vin asked. "Yes, get it to the hospital as quick as you can." They all headed in their respective directions, having tasks to carry out helped distract them from Ezra's situation. Chris and the others all arrived at the hospital, Chris went in to Ezra's room alone, wanting to check on him first, before the others came in. Jessie was sitting in a chair next to him, holding his hand and crying. "Jessie" "Mr. Larabee, I am glad your hear, he needs to know that his friends are here for him." "Would you please call me Chris?" "All right Chris, thank you." "How are you holding up?" "Not good, I don't want him to die, but he is slipping away with every minute that passes." The tears began to fall again, she watched Chris move to her and take her in his arms. "Go ahead and cry Jessie, I know how you feel." Ezra's heart monitor suddenly started beeping fast, his heart rate was out of control and his body began to convulse. He was having another seizure, Jessie moved to him and held him still, the tears streaming down her face. She watched Chris quickly leave the room and an instant later, the doctor came in with another injection for Ezra. She held him still until the doctor was done, a few moments later Ezra settled down again. Time Remaining: 1 hour 35 Minutes Chris had been unable to stand there watching Ezra have another seizure, it was too much, knowing there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He just hoped that the antidote that Ms. Wilson gave them would be ready in time, otherwise Ezra was a dead man. He began pacing in the waiting area, his frustration building every minute that passed, he wanted to hit something, but fought the urge, suddenly his phone rang, "Larabee" "Chris, this is Nathan I have some bad news." "That's all we seem to have these days, what is it?" "The ingredients that Ms. Wilson gave us for the antidote were fake, it doesn't do anything." "Damn, wait till I get my hands on her." He could no longer hold back from hitting something, so he hit the wall with his fist, cracking a couple of knuckles. "Ow" "What's wrong Chris?" "Nothing Nathan, my stupidity just got me a broken hand I think." "Get it looked at Chris, I do have some good news, I think." "What do you mean you think?" The anger and frustration that Chris felt came pouring out in his voice. "Calm down Chris, what I mean is, the lab says they are just a few steps away for the real antidote, they just don't know if it will be in time." "Keep me posted." Chris ended the call and walked to the nurses station. "Abby, I think I may have broken my hand." "Chris, what did you do?" "I punched the wall." He was trying to flex his fingers, but it hurt too much. "I will arrange for you to have an x-ray, I know how frustrated you are Chris, so am I, but don't do that again." "Trust me, I won't." + + + + + + + Jessie sat holding Ezra's hand in both of hers, silently praying for a miracle that would save the man she loved. He was quiet and still right now, but his pulse was getting weaker and if not for the respirator, he would not be breathing. She watched him closely, seeing his face twitch in pain every now and again, she would give anything to trade places, Ezra didn't deserve this, didn't deserve to die. "Please Ezra, hang on." "Jessie?" "Abby, I don't know what to do, he's so close to death now." The tears were in her eyes again and she fought to hold back a sob. "I know how you feel Jessie, Ezra means a lot to me too and I don't want to lose him either." She moved over to Jessie and gave her a hug, letting her cry on her shoulder. Jessie couldn't hold back the sobs any longer, they came unabated and she lost all control of her fragile emotions. She was so grateful that Abby was there for her, she didn't think she could handle this alone. Ezra's friends were there too, but that was different, she needed another woman to talk to and take comfort from. "Jessie, I have to get back to work, Chris needs a cast put on his hand, so I need to go take care of that." "A cast, why? What happened?" "He punched the wall." Jessie nodded, Abby didn't need to say anymore, she understood completely. She herself had felt like hitting something. "I understand, thank you Abby." "Your welcome Jessie, I'll be back later." Jessie watched her go and then sat back down in the chair, taking Ezra's hand in hers again, gently caressing it with her fingers. Time Remaining: 45 Minutes Jessie continued her bedside vigil, she would not leave him, not for anything. She wanted to be there for whatever happened and if by some chance he did wake, she wanted him to know she was there. She had fallen asleep for a while, but it was a restless sleep, she was afraid she would sleep too long and Ezra would be dead when she woke. "Jessie, why don't you take a little walk, Ezra's not going anywhere for a while yet, if at all." Abby was worried about her young nurse and friend, she was not doing well. "I don't want to leave him alone." "You won't be, I will be here while your gone, I have to check his vitals and make sure all the monitors are working properly, so go get some air." "All right, but I won't be gone for long." "I know, now go." She watched Jessie walk out of the room, she seemed so sad. She then turned her attention to Ezra, a man that meant almost as much to her as her husband, and began to check his vitals and make sure the monitors were hooked up properly. She knew that, unless an antidote was found soon, Ezra would be dead in less than a hour, the thought sent a tear down her cheek, she didn't know if she would ever be the same. Jessie got back to the room about 15 minutes later, Abby was still there, sitting next to Ezra, and Jessie could see the tears on her cheeks. "This is almost as hard for you as it is me, isn't it Abby?" "Yes, Ezra means a lot to me, I love him in my own way, kinda like a little brother, I guess." "I am sorry Abby, I have been very selfish." "No, don't apologize, you love him in a much deeper way, now I have to get back to work." "Thanks Abby." She watched her leave again, then returned to her vigil. + + + + + + + Chris was sitting in the waiting area, the pain killers he had been given for his hand, made him a bit sleepy. He had been dozing for a little while, but he too was afraid that he would wake too late, so he couldn't really sleep, Ezra had a half hour left and still no antidote. His cell phone rang and he slowly picked it up and answered it, "Larabee" "Chris, you all right?" "Yes, a few cracked knuckles is all." "I have good news, the lab has an antidote, they are bringing it to me now, then I will be headed to the hospital." Nathan said. "That's great, but you better hurry, it will take you at least 20 minutes to get here." Chris finally had some hope, but it was going to be very close. "I know Chris, we will get there as fast as we can." "All right, I'll be here when you get here." Chris ended the call and got up to go to Ezra's room, Jessie needed to hear this new hope. As he walked in, he saw her sitting next to Ezra's bed, holding his hand. "Jessie?" "Mr. Lar.....I mean Chris, how is your hand?" "It's all right, just a few cracked knuckles, I have some good news for you Jessie." "What?" "The ATF lab has an antidote, it's on it's way here now, but it will take about 20 minutes to get here." "20 minutes, he's only got less than 30." "I know it's going to be close, but I just know it will get here in time." "I hope your right Chris." + + + + + + + Nathan and Josiah were on the way to the hospital, but traffic was heavy for some reason, for a Saturday morning. They were getting slowed down by the traffic and fear was starting to rise in the pit of Nathan's stomach. He began diving in and out of traffic, driving over curbs, time was running out fast. "Damn this traffic." "Stay calm Brother Nathan, getting into an accident won't help." "I know Josiah, but Ezra's time is running out fast, he's only got 10 minutes left to live." "We are almost there, you can see the hospital." "Right, I am going to stop at the entrance, you get out there and take the antidote in, I will park the car." "Good idea brother." The car screeched to a stop at the hospital entrance, Josiah took the pouch with the antidote in it and headed inside. Nathan took the car and parked it. Josiah ran to the elevator and pushed the button, waiting impatiently for it to come. Chris watched Josiah sprint off the elevator and head towards him, out of breath. "Josiah, you have the antidote?" "Yes Chris, where is the doctor?" "He's in Ezra's room, there are only a couple of minutes left, get in there with it." He and Josiah both ran to Ezra's room and handed the antidote to the doctor, who quickly put it into a syringe and injected it into Ezra. None of them knew if it was in time, there was only a moment left. They all stood there with baited breath, Jessie still holding his hand, all eyes on the monitors and Ezra's face. Nathan walked in to see everyone watching the monitors, time was up, Ezra was supposed to die now, but they all hoped the antidote had gotten into him in time. Suddenly the heart monitor began to beep one long steady tone, Jessie cried, "NO", and everyone's shoulders slumped. Jessie grabbed Ezra's hand tighter and began sobbing as she watched the heart monitor, it showed one single flat line. She couldn't believe they had gotten the antidote, but too late. "Doctor, you have to do something." "Get a crash cart in here, we will do what we can." "The rest of us will wait outside." Chris said as he ushered the other men out of the room, all of them had the moisture on their faces of tears, Chris included. "Chris, he can't die." JD pleaded. "All we can do is wait JD, but I know how you feel, we all feel the same way." "I know Chris, but it just seems hopeless." JD turned and walked away, headed towards the big windows at the end of the hall, Buck followed after him. Chris wanted to hit something again, but this time it was something, or rather someone, specific. Ms. Wilson had made the lab waste their time on a fake antidote, if not for that, Ezra might be alive right now. + + + + + + + Ezra felt himself drifting towards the warm, inviting, peaceful light that waited on the horizon. It stood out like a spotlight in the darkness he had been swimming in for so long, he felt that he wanted to go to the light, but he also didn't. He could feel Jessie's hand holding his, could feel her presence in the darkness and knew if he went to the light, he would never see her again, he didn't want that. He felt his body jerk as a surge of electricity went through him and he was snatched back from the light, new sounds and sensations invaded his senses and he knew that his heart was beating again, but for how long. "Come on fight Ezra, please?" Jessie begged. "His heart is beating again, but I don't know for how long, if the antidote is working, perhaps we won't lose him again." "Thank you doctor, his breathing seems better, not great but better and his fever is down a few degrees, do you think that's from the antidote?" "Most likely, but all we can do now is wait and see." He turned and left the room, wanting to tell the others that Mr. Standish was back for now. Jessie continued to hold his hand and watch his vitals, they very slowly began to improve and Jessie felt a great weight lift from her, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days. She just knew that Ezra would be ok now, that he would live to love her and she to love him. She couldn't wait until the respirator was removed, so she could kiss his warm, soft lips again. "I love you Ezra." + + + + + + + The doctor found Mr. Larabee and the rest of the men at the end of the hall, it was New Year's Day and there was a gentle snowfall outside. "Gentlemen, Mr. Standish is alive, his heart is beating and his vitals do seem to be improving." "That's great" JD blurted. "Don't get too excited, it's too soon to tell if he's going to be fine, we don't know what kind of damage the poison may have done to his body or mind." "Do you have an idea?" Nathan asked. "Well, the odds are that there was no permanent damage, but it's just too soon to tell." "Thank you doctor, can we go back in?" "Certainly, I will keep you informed on his condition." "Thanks again." Chris said. They all went back in to Ezra's room, they could clearly see the relief on Jessie's face. "How's he doing Jessie?" Buck asked. "Better, his breathing is stronger and his fever is down even more, he's going to be fine." "Jessie, the doctor says it's too soon to tell if the poison caused any damage to his body or mind." "Well, I suppose that is true, but I know in my heart and soul that he is going to be just fine." "We hope so, but right now, we all need to go get some sleep, we will check in later." Chris said, as he glared at his men. "All right and OK Chris, is the response that he got from them. He himself needed some sleep and knew he could sleep easier, know that Ezra should be all right. Another 12 hours passed, Ezra drifted in and out of consciousness, but his vitals continued to improve and were almost back to normal. Jessie had gone to work her shift, but one or more of the guys, were always there with him. Ezra was currently fully conscious and alert, Buck was with him and he had a big smile on his face, knowing that Ezra was going to be all right. "Buck, I need you to do me a favor." "Sure Ezra, anything you want." "There is a jewelry store a few blocks from here, they have an item that I want, could you pick it up for me, just tell them to put it on my account." "Sure Ezra, what is it?" Buck leaned close to Ezra so he could hear what Ezra said, then smiled brightly, "Bet I know who that's for." "Your assumption would be correct Mr. Wilmington." "Jessie will love to have a diamond tennis bracelet from you." "I certainly hope so." Ezra closed his eyes and went to sleep, he wanted to be awake and alert when he gave the bracelet to Jessie. Buck stood and left the room, he made sure that the nurse knew that Ezra was now alone and asleep. Then he headed to the jewelry store, he was happy for Ezra and Jessie, they had a special and rare bond. He hoped their relationship would become long term, perhaps for a lifetime, Ezra deserved that. It took him about 30 minutes to run to the jewelry store and back, he thought the bracelet was beautiful, mostly diamonds in a 14k setting, but about ever 7 or 8 diamonds, there was a gold heart, he knew that Jessie would love it. He walked back into Ezra's room, he appeared to still be asleep, so he put the bracelet in the draw, next to the bed, then Ezra's eyes opened. "Hey there Ezra, the bracelet is in the draw, it's beautiful." "Thank you Mr. Wilmington, I appreciate your assistance." "Jessie's going to love it." "Indeed, now I just have to find the right time to give it to her" It was right at that moment that Jessie came into the room, her shift was just ending. Ezra watched her walk to the bed, Buck smiled and left the room, knowing when he wasn't wanted. "Good evening Darlin." "Good evening Ezra and Happy New Year." "Yes indeed, it is truly a Happy New Year." He pulled her too him and kissed her deeply, drawing her into his arms and holding her tight, it felt so good to hold her and kiss her, knowing he would have lots of time now, to develop their already strong relationship. Jessie was so happy that Ezra was all right, it felt so good to be in his arms and kissing his incredible mouth again, she just knew they had a long and wonderful future ahead of them, the strength that was back in his arms, as he held her, made her feel so happy. The End